Gunpowder Falls latest addition to Susquehanna Ale Trail

Martin Virga owns Gunpowder Falls Brewing in southern York County, the latest addition to the Susquehanna Ale Trail. The Shrewsbury Township brewery, which specializes in German-style lagers, opened in fall 2012. - (Photo / Jason Scott)

“When people find us, they are hooked,” said Martin Virga, owner of Gunpowder Falls Brewing in Shrewsbury Township.

But after nearly 18 months, attracting the draft beer crowd remains one of the biggest challenges for the small craft operation, which toes the state line and sells 75 percent of its beer to wholesale distributors in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

"There are still people in southern York County that don't know we exist," said Virga, who will use the Susquehanna Ale Trail's Passport Event as a way to get more eyes on his brand, which specializes in German-style lagers.

Just a few minutes off the Shrewsbury exit of Interstate 83, Gunpowder Falls occupies about 4,000 square feet of an industrial building. The latest addition to the trail, which is run by the York County Convention and Visitors Bureau, is in between a cheerleading training center and a machine shop.

"We aren't impacting the economy significantly now. I'm hoping I can grow this into a business as equally viable as Tröegs (Brewing Co.) or Victory (Brewing Co.)," Virga said, referring to the largest craft breweries in the commonwealth.

He plans to invest in his bottling system to shorten turnaround times to distributors. And he's hoping to grow draft accounts at area bars.

Return customer

The goal of the Passport Event is to expose beer enthusiasts, including people from outside the region, to a variety of craft options from York and Lancaster counties up to Dauphin County.

The two-weekend event, including Fridays, has nine participating breweries this year. That is down from 14 businesses last year, which was the second year for the program. The bureau declined to comment on the drop, and sales data was not released.

The inaugural year in 2012 drew about 300 people, according to Business Journal archives.

"It does help a little bit on the sales side, but keep in mind these are all free samples we give out, so it's not a huge increase in sales," said Christian Quinlivan, one of the owners of Liquid Hero Brewery in downtown York. "It's more so the exposure from the advertising that the ale trail does."

Participants can purchase a passport, which entitles them to special brewery tours, craft beer tastings, a 10 percent discount on merchandise at participating locations, and a souvenir Susquehanna Ale Trail mug.

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Jason Scott

Jason Scott covers state government, real estate and construction, media and marketing, and Dauphin County. Have a tip or question for him? Email him at jasons@cpbj.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JScottJournal.
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